Dumb questions...

[johnny48]

I agree with U about tha green-tinge.. Lukin at tha luvly photos of serge's luvly Fulvia Cup, I see slite shades a' green, even though tha interior isn't green on his car. I'm sure this shade of putty causes tha car to becum invisible in tha fog ! So I hope all your lights work.

[Serge]

Lights are working OK, don't worry!!
I just sometimes have (as all Fulvias' owners I guess!!) a strange behavior of the electrical system!

I'm going several times per year to the US for business, I especially go to Houston, is there any Fulvias overthere???

[johnny48]

hmmm, I don't know if I'd be hapy with grey rims ? I'd go for a silver metallic with clear coat.

Will you be driving it all year - or, if you have already owned it for a long time - do you drive it all year ?
Are you / your car located in sunny south France or in the colder damper north ?
or in the snowy mountains ?
I ask, because I wonder if the rust on your car is really restricted to the lower doors, or if there may be more, that you can't yet see.

I am afraid to drive my Z in the rain, because I don't know where water will remain trapped & start non-visible rusting. I can't imagine driving it daily in the winter. So, it sits - under cover - most of the time !

Based on what Claire told me happened to her Coupe, before she owned it, when it was sitting for a few years in a (perhaps ?) non-airy garage, rust comes creeping from the inside out & eats the metal, so only the paint & a prayer keep it from collapsing !

Does any Fulvia owner, living in a wet & cold climate (read N & Mid Euro) drive their Fulvia 12 months of the year or park their Fulvia outside, 12 month of the year ?

I can't imagine that this would lead to early body/chassis advanced damage on a Fulvia located in, for example (staying in France) sunny Corsica, but I am sure it would in, for example (staying in France), rainy-winter Paris.

Not to mention ... shudder...salty roads !!!!!

Will, over a long time-period, intense & proper undercoating & waxoil treatment prevent the rust bug from eventually destroying the body/chassis or will it just slow down the inevitable ?

Are we condemmed to be fair-weather-only drivers ?

Serge wrote:
>
> What a trip!! Sure, you need to be on diet now!!
> You're right, colour is pretty far away from what we call
> Mirabello here in France!
> Anyway, it's not common and looks ok with a brown interior.
> I have some work to do on the body: little bit rust under the
> door and I have to sand blast and repaint the 4 rims: rim
> colour is will surely be grey, but it is no more possible to
> get this special metal grey here in France...

[johnny48]

texas is a pretty small place & there has been at least 1 Fulvia imported from Italy via Florida recently...so - even if it isn't in Houston, it can't be more than a 3 day (not stop) trip for you to drive to see it in a rental car
or take more than 3 days for its owner to drive to Houston to show it to you.
In any case, they get good mileage !

[johnny48]

Hi Claire,
yes, I remember Lucas's Berlina.
What I most remember about his car is him !
& that he was kind enough to stay behind us for much of the day 2 trip, so when we / I / U took a wrong turn or forgot to turn at all,he was there to save us.
But we still accomplished the impossible, proudly, I might add.
We managed to lose him anyway !!!
Did we care ?
I think it happened because the driver was laughing so much there were salty-tears in his eyes.
Thanks to you !!!
Anyway, thats what I told the others, when we finally found them !
Or did I say "the sun was in my eyes" ?
Or was it when you said "we decided to take the scenic route" ?
In any case, we got to see things & places that no one else on that trip did !
I specifically remember that we were smart enough to turn around when we got to the Atlantic, or was when we reached the Mediterranean ?

[Serge]

Well, I'm located close to center of France, it is not completely wet neither dry climat !!
I own this Fulvia since September, I've spent a lot of time, almost a year to find one in pretty good condition, just need to ajust carburettors, change membranes (a special repair kit) and change the distribution chain which was noisy.
Even if I'm not using it everyday, I'm trying to use it on a regular basis, at least on week ends when wheather is ok.
This is the best way to keep it in good condition! Those cars need to excercice!!
I agree with you, better not to use our Fulvias when it's raining, we never know where this xxx water will stay and will do to our babies later on! But it is also funny to drive this car on a slippy road!!
Regarding the rims colour, it is not completely fix now, I will see that next year, I'm still looking for the original colour, I don't know whether silver metallic is the original one.
About rust, body shop guy told me that chassis is in a very good condition, very few rust, but I have to look deeper!!!